The season of warm coats and holiday sweaters is upon us. The lights are twinkling. The auto-responders are taking effect. And, we have few precious days before the calendar turns over and the new year is here. In between the school parties and the gift shopping and the holiday plans, I try really hard to make time to pause and savor the best parts of the year, both personally and professionally.

This week, I’ve found myself reflecting on the many parts of Doodling Pandas‘s year that made it so rewarding and a theme emerged that I really loved. VARIETY.

Instead of highlighting specific clients (because, seriously, how could I possibly choose? My clients are literally THE BEST.) I want to celebrate the kinds of work that made this year special. Here are some of the themes where strategy and creativity came together in the best ways in 2025.

Businesses trying to market themselves often think of AI as a tool to make writing and researching easier. It can help with idea generation and many of the more tedious tasks of mass communication. But many are not paying close enough attention to what AI means for exposure on a greater scale and how we need to change our tactics to make us visible in an AI-first environment. In this article we explore what’s changing, and what we can do about it.

If you are a small business owner with any social media presence, then we don’t have to tell you that your social marketing efforts aren’t going as far as they used to. This month, we’re talking about the ever-evolving algorithms, how they’re making organic visibility harder than ever, and most importantly, what you can do about it.

Most businesses are cyclical and experience periods of intense focus on customer work and others where you find yourself with a few spare minutes to invest a little bit of time in the nuts and bolts of the business of your brand. If you find yourself with some time to spare at the beach or at the office this summer, here are a few ideas for checking in on your brand fundamentals.

There’s a quote from Donald Miller, CEO of StoryBrand and author of a powerful TedX talk called “How to clarify your message so people will listen”, that gets right to the heart of effective communication: “Talk 75% about your customers’ problems and 25% about your products and you’ll sell a lot more products.”

It’s a powerful reminder that successful marketing isn’t about leading with what you do. It’s about leading with what your audience needs.

You’ve got a million ideas for marketing your business, but every time you sit down to execute, the overwhelm sets in. Sound familiar? You’re not alone! The trick is to start small, stay focused, and build momentum. Here are some no-nonsense tips to help you cut through the noise and get moving: